This invention relates to the construction of a base unit for a cabana of the type used for portable outdoor-type restroom facilities, with the base functioning as a shipping container for restroom facility components, a waste receptacle for toilet and sink units contained in the facility and, upon becoming filled with waste, a ballast for stabilizing the facility.
Portable standard cabanas housing toilets and sinks function as restroom facilities at outdoor public gatherings, construction sites and other locations where such facilities would otherwise be unavailable. Conventional cabanas typically include walls constructed from relatively large, thin sheets of thermoplastic material such as polyethylene-type plastic, secured to a base to define both the height and the width of the cabana enclosure. One wall panel typically includes a door frame with a door hingedly connected thereto for providing access to the interior of the cabana.
Conventional portable cabanas of the type generally described above vary widely in shape and size. Examples of such cabanas are disclosed in the following patents to Richard Leach Tagg: U.S. Pat. No. 5,550,960 for a xe2x80x9cPortable Toilet Cabanaxe2x80x9d, U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,962 for a xe2x80x9cPortable Toilet Cabanaxe2x80x9d, and U.S. Design Pat. Des. 360,471 for a xe2x80x9cPortable Toilet Cabanaxe2x80x9d.
Conventional portable toilet cabanas are designed to provide maximum interior volume. However, toilets, waste-holding tanks, sinks, fresh water holding tanks, and/or other restroom facility components typically installed within the cabana interior occupy a portion of the cabana interior. Typically, an integrated toilet and waste-holding tank are arranged upon the top of a pallet base or skid, as for example is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,480 to Harding for a xe2x80x9cChemical Toilet Cabanaxe2x80x9d. However, such a design utilizes a significant portion of the cabana interior volume, thereby minimizing the available room for additional restroom components such as sink units and fresh water supplies.
In addition, conventional outdoor restroom facilities are not designed for use as either an Asian style toilet unit, which is essentially a unit built directly into the floor surface, or a Western style toilet unit of the type typically used in the United States, and shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,550,960 referenced above.
Shipping these portable restroom units in a knock-down condition is costly, given their sizes and the numerous components that must be assembled. As with shipping of any bulky goods having numerous unassembled components, separate boxing of these components increases the probability of the components being either lost or misplaced during shipment.
Further, the waste-holding tanks that have been used with these portable restroom units are normally arranged along one of the inner walls of the cabana. When these tanks are substantially filled, they create an unbalanced weight distribution in the cabana. The unbalanced weight distribution problem increases the ease of tipping the cabana over by wind forces or by vandalism. Further, in conventional outdoor toilet facilities, the waste tanks must be emptied through an interior access port, such as through the toilet unit itself. This required interior access increases the difficulty of removing waste from the unit.
The invention contemplates a multi-function base unit for an outdoor portable toilet or restroom cabana that is molded from a plastic material to form a combined cabana floor, a waste-holding tank, and pallet for support and for forklift access. The unit includes a hollow base that forms a holding tank and is shaped for forklift access thereunder. The holding tank is also a storage unit for facility components therein when the toilet cabana is in a knock-down state, a waste storage unit during cabana use, and a ballast for stabilizing the cabana as the holding tank is filled.
The structure of the present invention increases the space available within the cabana when compared to conventional outdoor restroom cabanas. The base unit also functions as a shipping container for the restroom facility components, such as the toilet and the sink unit, thereby minimizing shipping costs and the probability of components becoming separated or lost during shipment. In addition, the base unit functions as a ballast to stabilize the restroom facility as the waste-holding tank of the base unit becomes filled, thereby minimizing the chance of the cabana being tipped over. Also, the base unit is designed with a floor on which either an Asian style or Western style toilet unit may be positioned, with or without flushing capabilities.
An object of this invention is to provide a base unit for a modular portable outdoor cabana structure, with the base unit being molded to include a waste-holding tank beneath the base unit floor, thereby increasing the available volume within the cabana structure.
Another object of this invention is to provide a base unit for a modular portable outdoor cabana, with the base unit being molded to include a waste-holding tank beneath the base unit floor that functions as a ballast for the structure, thereby minimizing the chance of the structure being tipped over.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a base unit for a modular portable outdoor structure, with the base unit being molded to include a waste-holding tank beneath the base unit floor that functions as a chassis for ensuring correct assembly of wall panels and other components of the structure.
An object of the present invention is to provide a base unit for a portable outdoor structure that is molded from a plastic material to include skids for forklift access.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a base unit for a portable outdoor restroom facility that includes a waste-holding tank that doubles as a shipping container for storage and shipment of facility components when the facility is disassembled.
Also, an object of the present invention is to provide a base unit for a portable outdoor restroom facility that is molded from a plastic material to include a waste-holding tank below a substantially planar floor that is designed for use with either Asian or Western style toilet units, with or without flushing capabilities.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a base unit for a portable stand-alone restroom facility that may be retrofit on existing restroom facilities, thereby minimizing implementation costs associated therewith.
These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent upon reading the following description, of which the attached drawings form a part.